K 1, independents 3

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chairman of the Supreme Court is
elected by the People's Assembly for a four-year term

Political parties and leaders: Albanian Republican Party or PR [Fatmir
MEHDIU]; Albanian Socialist Party or PS (formerly the Albania Workers
Party) ; Albanian United Right or DBSH (includes
PBK, Albanian Republican Party or PRS, AND PDD) ;
Christian Democratic Party or PDK ; Democratic Alliance
or PAD ; Democratic Party or PD ;
Democratic Party of the Right or PDD ; Liberal Union
Party ; Movement of Legality Party or PLL ;
National Front (Balli Kombetar) or PBK ; Party of
National Unity or PUK ; Right National Front [Hysni
SELFO]; Social Democratic Party or PSD ; Unity for
Human Rights Party or PBDNJ ; note - Teodar LACO
of the Liberal Union Party was leader of the Social Democratic Union
of Albania or PBSD

International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC,
EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO,
ITU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Petrit BUSHATI
chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: (202) 223-4942
FAX: (202) 628-7342

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph LIMPRECHT
embassy: Rruga Elbasanit 103, Tirana
mailing address: American Embassy, Tirana, Department of State,
Washington, DC 20521-9510
telephone: (42) 47285 through 47289
FAX: (42) 32222

Flag description: red with a black two-headed eagle in the center

@Albania:Economy

Economy - overview: An extremely poor country by European standards,
Albania is making the difficult transition to a more open-market
economy. The economy rebounded in 1993-95 after a severe depression
accompanying the collapse of the previous centrally planned system in
1990 and 1991. However, a weakening of government resolve to maintain
stabilization policies in the election year of 1996 contributed to
renewal of inflationary pressures, spurred by the budget deficit which
exceeded 12%. The collapse of financial pyramid schemes in early 1997
- which had attracted deposits from a substantial portion of Albania's
population - triggered severe social unrest which led to more than
1,500 deaths, widespread destruction of property,